A number of different solutions are known for fixing nuts against rotation, and these are used to axially fix components, which either rotate themselves relative to their axes or are disposed on a rotating shaft. One solution which is common in, inter alia, the front wheel hub in passenger cars, uses a so-called crown nut, which is fixed against rotation by a split pin inserted into a radial bore in the shaft. Another solution uses a washer carried by the nut, said washer having an internal profile, e.g. a projection extending into an axial groove in the threaded portion of the shaft end. One or more portions of the outer periphery of the washer are bent over the nut providing shaped engagement between the components. A third known solution, which is particularly used for locking a propeller hub on a splined propeller shaft, uses a thrust washer provided with internal splines engaging the splines of the shaft. The outer periphery of the washer is toothed. A lock washer shaped as a hexagonal bowl with tabs spaced around its periphery is tigthened against the thrust washer by the nut, whereafter the taps are bent between the teeth of the thrust washer so that the nut is locked against rotation on the shaft. All of the solutions described are dependent on a permanent deformation of some component after tightening of the nut.
One disadvantage of this is that the locking elements cannot, or in any case should not, be reused for reassembly, since repeated deformation weakens the material and makes the locking less secure. Another disadvantage is that the work of bending tabs or inserting and splitting a split pin requires a certain amount of extra space radially outside the nut, which limits the possibility of using such locking devices in confined spaces. Furthermore, the components must be fully visible and accessible in order to be assured to proper assembly.